Identity Theft Protection

Warning Not To Use Birthdays or Nicknames as Passwords

If your online banking and shopping password is your nickname, birthday, anniversary, or pet name, chances are somebody else knows it too. Researchers warn that online banking customers leave themselves open to fraud by using predictable passwords. More than 75 percent of 1,005 people surveyed used words that could be easily guessed.

Relying on nicknames, birthdays, memorable dates, and pet names leaves the door open to hackers. Hackers can use programs to try all the words in a dictionary when trying to find someone's password.

Keeping your password safe can be as simple as adding numbers or random letters. A research spokesman said: "It is important to choose passwords that are difficult to decipher and not easily guessed."